New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-20
FAST WORK ON SUBWAYS.
THE END OF THE POLES Is Is IN SIGHT.
OVER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY MILES OF DUCTS

me disappearance OF the telegraph poles from the
streets of this city only question OF timehree
or -FOUR years at the outside. Several hundred have
already been removed and within the next thirty days
many more of these unsghtly features modern
uon Will be taken down. Nearly all the first lot removed
$1,000 In Ihrd and Ninth They released by
removing the wires from them to the elevated roads,
"hch the western Union Telegraph Company
permitted to do until subways could be for
IL III 'hose thorougfares. But the wires from the poles
that are to come down henreforh will be put into the
suoways at About ten miles OF these underground
condus have already been finished this summer by the
construction company and 1t is expected that several
miles more will be completed before frost stops work
for the season.
Considering the difficulties with which the construc-
uon company had to contend the novel character of the
work. dsscnsons the Board OF Electrical Control. de-
lay IN obtaining permits and various other matters that
need not he mentioned here the results OF the summers
work are certainly creiable to the companys energy
and enterprise brief review OF what has been
shei and what is still under way will prove that this
statement Is well founded and strictly true
THE CONDUIT UP FIFTH-AvF.
The first work done last spring the west side OF
Fifh-avc where a subway laid from Fourteenth to
Forty second Sta. This designed to accommodate
electric light wires generally with separate system on
top for the wires OF the Edison Electric Light Company
1t consists OF iron ducts two and one half ches in
diameter and va-yins in number from Il dozen at the
upper end. where the demand for service is light, to
about fifty In the region of Twentythrdst These pipes
or duets are all Laid in hylralic cement.
The next work began in Broadway at Fortysecondst.
From this point an underground conduit was laid down
Broadway the east side to Fourteenhst, with lateral
branches running through several streets 10
meet the side with the snbways I'm SiXth.ave
On the east side these branches EXTENDED FAR Mad
ison and In instance AT Twentythrtst to Fourth
The Wok in this section has all been completed;
the telegraph, telephone and electric light companies
operating in have been ordered to take down their
poles wires and this orlcr will be compiled with by
December - New Years at the latest. There Is
disposition the part OF any company to delay matters
50 far a. the construction company or the Board OF
Electrical Control at present aware.
In siNthayc. another subway laid on the wcst
side OF the thoroughfrc parallel to that put down last
summer the material OF which furnished by tho
Dorset Company. This extra in sxth-aye is for
the accommodation electric light wires the other sub
way being entirely devoted to telephone and telegraph
service.
The underground conduit in Finy-elghth ST.. which
the next pat down. extends from Third To Tenth
ayes. and has already been PIT into In expert
mental way All the subways. IN fact are fully tested
before the overhead them is disturbed Tho
metropolitan Telephone Company has had IT. cables in
the Dor.ett conluits in Sxthavc for nearly year IL
claims bc still testing them bnt serious com
plant the working Of the cables has been made the
company has been informed that the payment OF rent IS
now in order
Difficulties NIT DowN Town.
The greatest difficulties in the work ot construction
were naturally encountered downtown For example.
the Biz subway running from Cortlandtst mp Broadway
and through Park Row the Bridge which carries the
Western Union Telegraph Conpany's cables to the
Thrlavc elevated railway structure. and also receives
tho wrc- coming over the Bridge built mostly at
night the conduit In New Church st., which is
the BEGINNING OF tho west side trunk line Everything
had 10 De- done 80 a. avoid ob,tructing the great
Of traffic tnat through these streets during
business hours Even the dirt was clrtci away down
the foot OF Whitehast, and left there until 1t was
needed 20 hu in again This subway IN Broadway Is
being extended down from Cortanit 81 to the Battery,
with branches TO tho stock Cotton AMI Produce EN-
changes ami any other business centres that may require
them Last Week work was begun another subway in
Spring a. 10 Accommodate toe wires OF the Metropottn
Telephone Company. which has exchange there near
Broadway and also tho wires u the Baltimore and
Ohio Telegraph Compauy's oiicc at Broadway and
Canast II will connect At Broadway with the subway
already huilt there extending from this point In a
westerly direction . tho North River. with branches
running down Grccn Il. and mp MlctonE'lst Iii' il
The first conduit built Uner the Aycri system. which,
n r.. claimed can he Land a the rate ~ LOO feet day
In addition 10 these company working with all
possible speed 10 finish the subway ~ crcsotei wood
which runs through Sixth from Twenty hrst-,t.
where Tie subway to Fifty eighth - begins down
Carminc-s. through Thlri 81 and South iii'h-ayc 10
where
l.ici or practically So which from state" AZ mp
through Church and Green. thus forming trunk line on
the west side from the Battery 10 the Park.
The central trunk line. that In broadway, has, as
stated ne-n completed from Fourteenth Ia Forty
St. and nearly from the Post Oncc To the Battery.
but nothing been Will be done this year on tho
east side main line.
SHOULD THE CONpUITs III INSULATED
whether these underground conduts should be- tnsu-
lated or no, {. disputed question among electrical cI
ports Tie Board Of Electrical Control and tie consruc
ton company -hch IS right. but they pro
pose to hGd by practical experiment which Is the
better system aud hey FOR thi. reason given tho
advocates " sides chance. On The west side an
insulated conduit. cement creso'ed wood and pitch tar
has been laid while Broadway iron pipes. uon insu-
ating material nave been lscd entirely come 81 ucSc
pipes have been laid bare IN the hydraic cement while
those put down asst nave been treated % prevent
otydizauon Aboat 40 miles u all kinds have been
Id thus far TIL. year To do this has required an out
Lac OF - 900 600 The part OF the construction com
plny witch has yet received dollar Ia me way OF
vii have 70 BE expended before The entire underground
SUSTAIN completed but OF course some returns VIII ne
mc are employed by the contractor. john Il, CrnInns
most Of the line. and a. many as Eooo nave oeeh at
work at certain times
TIE QUESTION OF TEARING UP THE STREETS.
A great deal of criticism has male upon the CON
structon company for tearing 80 much OF the streets
al one time eior'. to push the work as raply as
possible Some OF this criticism has been well iouhhed
but good deal It been unjust according 10 tue
officials OF company SAID one OF these yeS'cr"'S
We have to great extent been blamed Tor WORK 'hat
did not belong TO us at all During last summer the rev
Standard Gas Company tearing mp the streets every
where to parallel with its pipes those Of half dozen OF
the old COMPANIES Yet scarcely word was SAID ABOUT
this work. unless say that was on work linen the
Steam Company tearing tlnss up 's us,", V '
whenever attention called o II nnc times OUT oI zen
We were blamed for the ohsrucuons made ny t"s CON-
many, cuployc- As a matter OF Tact the new iorN |
was meyer lea. incOnN enienced by any great work
han IL ha. been by this subway contract MIR Crlmnlns
" ordered To spare expense In doing the work so as
moi t interfere with traffic in the streets anu ne mas
needed this Injunction. lie does the work. you Know
and then renders D FOR what he spends on "nioh
he Is allowed certain per cent Tor ptout Hence u
nothing to him how much the subways cost Why tnat